Jacks are a type of tool used to apply a force to move elements, such as the planks, boards, laminate panels and the like used for flooring construction and repair applications. These types of elements are referred to herein as “flooring elements.” Jacks for use with flooring elements have a range of potential uses. For example, the jack may be used to join adjacent flooring elements tightly together so that the installer can nail or otherwise secure the flooring elements to a subfloor, joist or other support. By way of further example, the jack may be used to apply a force which moves one or more flooring element to ensure abutment between a flooring element and a baseboard molding, wall or cabinet before the element is secured in place. The force applied by the jack is useful to ensure that the flooring elements are uniform in appearance and to ensure that there are no unwanted gaps or spaces between adjacent flooring elements or surfaces.
Many jack devices have been developed to assist the installer with moving or joining flooring elements. For example, jacks exist which operate in one direction. Such jacks are capable of either pulling the flooring elements or pushing the flooring elements, but are not capable of both pulling and, alternatively, pushing the flooring elements. While these types of jacks can be satisfactory for their intended purpose, a potential shortcoming is that the installer must purchase two jacks should the installer need to both pull and push flooring elements into the desired position.
Other jack devices exist which are capable of both pulling or pushing. Examples are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,933,288 (Sholick) and 7,451,671 (Coleman, Jr.) and in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0194749 (Mirocha). A shortcoming of the jacks described in these documents is that each jack requires a pulling “foot” that is completely removable from the jack. The installer must attach the completely-removable foot to the jack to enable the jack to pull the flooring elements. Foot attachment is inconvenient and time consuming. A separate tool may be required to mount the removable foot and separate fasteners may also be required. Moreover, a removable foot is a part separate from the jack which can easily be misplaced or lost, especially during movement from job site to job site. These jacks cannot pull the flooring elements without the removable foot and loss of the removable foot partially disables the jack. The removable foot is not optimally suitable for operation with flooring elements which have a range of different thicknesses.
It would be an advance in the art to provide a jack-type tool for moving or joining elements, such as flooring elements, which would enable movement or joining of elements by pushing and, alternatively, by pulling with a single tool, which would be simple and easy to use, which would avoid loss of parts, which could include the capability of joining or moving elements having a range of different thicknesses and which would generally improve the quality of flooring installation and carpentry work.